Hi,
I've posted a lot of questions in this forum, and I think it's time to share my experience and give some people a bit of hope.
I am from Egypt, Software Engineer, I applied for work-visa in Egypt on the 20th of May 2013, got the visa on the 11th of June, (So I think I was lucky enough it took me only 22 days).
Then the embassy was too bad about my wife visa and they were putting obstucles about some papers that were not needed, anyway my wife successfull applied for visa in the end on the 7th of October 2013 (While I was still in my probation period), I waited almost 1.5 month, I contacted the Auslanderbehorde on the 24th of May (Whenever you contact the auslanderbehorde please make sure you supply your Family, Lastname, for you, your spouse, and kids if any + birth-dater + passport numbers) to avoid receiving a reply asking you for such info... just save wasting 2 days
... anyway they told me we physically mailed you a letter to your address asking for proof of work/income, and accomodation. on the 29th of Oct. (After 22 days from her Appointment in the embassy in Egypt). of course I haven't got this mail ever, but thanks god I asked about the status, I mailed them all the required papers on the 26th of Nov., (Without any proof from work that my probation period is completed, as it wasn't), then emailed them again on the 27th a paper from my work saying that my probabtion is complete, but they replied in 5 minutes, saying your spouse's visa is already issued and the embassy in Egypt should contact you.
on the 28th in the morning they called my wife asking her to send passports and health insurance for her and the kids to get the visa stamped.
So my advice is generally 3 points:
1-Follow up your case, don't just wait forever, send emails every 2-3 weeks asking about status (Persisst).
2-Be specific and supply as much info as you can whenever you communicate, find many emails and don't just stick up to 1 person / 1 email (half of the mails in the Auslanderbehorde in Berlin) rarely reply.
3-If I had the mail they were talking we would've completed the whole reunion process in less than 1 month (so don't be pessimistic), and always know that whatever happens on whatever time is always good for you.
And btw: Germany is really a beautiful country