It was created in 1949, during the first presidency of Juan Domingo Perón, to expand upon the responsibilities of the previously existing Immigration Directorate.

[2] Its headquarters are located in the Hotel de Inmigrantes complex, in the Retiro district of Buenos Aires.

In the early 20th century, the Hotel de Inmigrantes served as the first stop for the millions of migrants coming to Argentina from Europe and Asia.

There are also delegations located in other major cities such as Comodoro Rivadavia, Bariloche, and Puerto Iguazú.

The DNM consists of seven general directorates: Administration, Immigration, Migratory Movement, Systems and Information Technologies, Technical and Legal Affairs, Institutional and Social Affairs, as well as Migration Information, Analysis and Control.