Pasang Lama v. Loretta E. Lynch

MEMORANDUM

Armen Soghbatyan and Shushan Nersi-syan, natives and citizens of Armenia, petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing their appeal from an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) decision denying Soghbatyan’s application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings, applying the standards governing adverse credibility determinations created by the REAL ID Act, Shrestha v. Holder, 590 F.3d 1034, 1039-40 (9th Cir.2010), and we deny the petition for review.

Substantial evidence supports the BIA’s adverse credibility determination based on inconsistencies between Soghbatyan’s testimony and visa documents regarding his work history. See id. at 1048 (adverse credibility determination was reasonable under the “totality of circumstances”). The record does not support Soghbatyan’s contention thát the IJ did not consider his explanations, and Soghbatyan’s explanations for the inconsistencies do not compel a contrary conclusion, see Lata v. INS, 204 F.3d 1241, 1245 (9th Cir.2000). Thus, in the…