No more changes of status?

My situation: I just moved to Japan and started a job. I have Instructor residence status. My wife and daughter came with me, and they are on 90-day visa-free visitor status. My company said that they should come on that status and apply for "Change of Status of Residence" to Dependent, after arrival.

My question: I recently saw rumors that Japanese immigration stopped giving changes of status from visitor/tourist > resident after August 1, 2019. But I did not see any official source for this claim. Is it true?

False

seen it read it somwhere but ..
the immigration is getting more strict, especially change of status (to student/dependent etc.) .

As Change of Status is normally reserved for those who already have resident status in Japan.
Coming to Japan on Temporary Visitor and apply for change of status is pretty much frown of, and is deal case by case (mostly for spouse).

Ask your employer to check with the immigration authorities, possibly through an immigration lawyer.
Yes, there seems to have been a change (not in clear rules but in operation) in how an application for a change of status gfrom temporary visitorh to a work-associated status including dependent. This is something I came to learn from a professional in this field. He admitted that there was no clear rules, and different officers could say different things, but that in general the immigration authorities are getting stricter with changes FROM temporary visitor.
It might just be a matter of getting your employer to help with getting gdependenth CoE for your family, then your family leaving the country once for example to Korea to get the visa there and then enter Japan.

Reading the above comments: Being strict does not mean that it is no longer possible. The law remains and it is possible and allowed.

What I mean is that from the beginning they (going by the law) allowed change from temporary visitor to other status gonly when there are special circumstancesh but they have been allowing most cases when applied; now the way the define gspecial circumstancesh has become more strict. So in some cases they decide to deny the application for change. (This is what I heard from a professional who helps clients submit their applications.)