As long as you make an election to file a married filing jointly return and attach it to your return and mail your return, she will be exempt from the penalty.
https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/questions-and-answers-on-the-individual-shared-responsibility-provision
Treat your spouse as
resident alien for tax purposes. If you do this, you will need to
include your spouse's worldwide income in your US tax return and it will be
subject to US taxes. To do this follow these steps
- Attach a statement to your
tax return, signed by both spouses, that states that one spouse is a
nonresident alien and the other is a U.S. citizen or resident alien, and
you are choosing to both be treated as US residents for the tax year.
- List the name, address and
Social Security number (or Individual Taxpayer Identification number) of
each spouse. If your spouse has a social security number you will use
it. If not, you will need to apply for a number using Form
SS-5. If your spouse is not eligible to apply for a Social
Security number, complete a Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual
Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf). This form will
be attached to your tax return. Turbo Tax does not support the
Form W-7. You can complete it outside of Turbo
Tax. You will have to print, sign and mail your return in if
you are using Form W-7.
- For the first year you make
the choice, you have to file a joint return. In later years you can file
joint or separate returns. Married Filing Jointly will give you a higher
standard deduction and has other benefits that are not available using a
married filing separately status, but you do have to include your spouse’s
worldwide income in joint income.
Please see page 8 of
Publication 519
You will both need to sign the statement and the return before mailing.