Domicile refers to the place you call home permanently. Your domicile is important for legal purposes such as paying taxes, voting, and claiming benefits.Domicile is intended to be permanent rather than temporary, whereas residence means living in a particular locality and requires mere physical presence. If you want to sponsor someone for a family-based green card, you need to provide proof of a U.S. domicile in your Affidavit of Support (Form I-864). What Residency Means in California. To be considered a resident of California, you must have a domicile in the state. Use our Affidavit of Domicile form to verify the last home address of a deceased person to speed up the inheritance process. Simply put, your domicile is your home—the state you consider your permanent place of residence. "Domicile" is your "permanent home," while "Residence" is your "temporary home. " Residency is a loose term for where someone chooses to live.