Would it be easier to obtain a work permit in Japan if have family there?

Question:

I'm going to language school for a few years on a student visa in Sept., and then want to switch to a cultural activities visa and take a sport while I save for university and look for scholarships. If I have family over there, will it be easier to get a work permit from immigration?

Answer:

What is your nationality? If you ask a Q related to immigration office, you need to make your nationality clear. Because the procedure, qualifications and necessary documents vary from nation to nation. I don't usually answer this kind of visa-related questions (because I am not an expert on this subject); however, I can tell that you are underestimating the difficulties in changing your visa from one to another. Japanese immigration office is extremely strict so that nobody would take advantage of their system.

Obviously, cultural activity visa is harder to get than student visa. You have to prove the legitimacy for changing your visa by submitting all sorts of documents from all the agencies concerned with your "cultural activity." Cultural activity visa is effective for 6 months (12 months at most in exceptional cases). How can you save enough money for university in such a short period of time? Scholarship? OK. I hope you were all A student back home.

So, your plan is to enter Japan as a language school student, then, switch to cultural activity visa for 6 months, then, go to a university as a full-time student in Japan on scholarship (from where)? I don't think immigration officers would trust your story. They are not so nice to you, to say the least.

Edit:
As people above said, whether or not you have a family member in Japan has nothing to do with your working visa. If you have your legitimate father or mother in Japan, you would never ask this question, I guess.